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Silverstone More Than Homecoming for Drayson Racing; Race is Milestone Event for British Operation

Published: Sep 07, 2009

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IT Development

13 September's Autosport 1000km of Silverstone is more than a homecoming for Drayson Racing, it is a milestone event for the British team. The Le Mans Series finale marks the team's first time as a stand-alone operation to compete on its native soil. The No. 87 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2, driven by Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) holds distinction as the sole LMGT2 class representative of Aston Martin and will be attempting to add to the storied history of the classic British marque at the birthplace of modern, British motor racing.

The six-hour maximum, timed event will be the final time the team will compete with the Vantage GT2 in international sports car competition. The road car-based entry will give way to a Lola-powered Judd prototype in the sports premier LMP1 class in the final three, major sports car events of the 2009 season. The Drayson Racing prototype debuts at the 12th Annual Petit Le Mans on 26 September.

The 5.141Km (3.195 mile), Silverstone Circuit is the home track for both Drayson and Cocker. The race is the first time since Sebring that Drayson has returned to a track that he has raced on before. For Cocker, Silverstone provides him an excellent opportunity to relive his memorable, rain-soaked, come-from-behind victory in 2004 that clinched him one of his two British GT Championships.

QuotesPaul Drayson, Driver/Owner: "Silverstone is where racing started for me in as I passed my racing licence test here. So this weekend, racing a British-built car, at home at Silverstone just down the road from where the car was built and the team is based is very special. We will have lots of friends and family coming to support us and we are hoping for our best result of the season to round off the Le Mans Series."

About the track: "My favourite part of the Silverstone Circuit is Bridge Corner. Fast, with the compression in the dip, you really feel the speed there and I like it."

His best Silverstone memory: "I have lots of great memories racing at Silverstone but I particularly remember racing a Chevron B8 during the historic sporstcar support race to the British Grand Prix. I had a great dice with a Ford GT40 for two or three laps where the B8's wonderful chassis was more than a match for the GT40's grunt down the straights. It was a wonderfully sunny day. Great memories."

Jonny Cocker, Driver:"Silverstone is a great circuit and to close the LMS season at the team's home event is fantastic. Hopefully we can have a great result! The team will have a huge amount of support at this race and that's a really nice feeling as a driver."

About the track:"I really like the GP Circuit. It should suit our car pretty well. The first series of corners are very quick but vital to putting together a good lap time. We have a good high speed balance with our car and I'm really looking forward to seeing where we lineup against the competition in the first session."

His best Silverstone memory:"I had a fantastic race at Silverstone back in the British GT championship in '04. The conditions were pretty treacherous. We came from the back of the grid to win the race!"

Dale White, Team Manager: "Silverstone carries a great deal of importance to us as a team and as individuals. Most of the guys on this team grew-up coming here watching their heroes race and it is a track I've always wanted to compete at. We know this is the biggest sports car race in the United Kingdom. We also know this is the last time we will be running the Vantage. None of that is going to break our focus. We are here to give the best showing we can."

To visit the official web site of Drayson Racing, please go to . To learn more about Aston Martin Racing, please proceed to .For more on the Le Mans Series, please visit .Drayson racing supports the Science: So What? So Everything! campaign aimed at raising the profile of science and the part it plays in our day-to-day lives. To find out more visit .